Our history
There has been industrial activity at Rygene as far back as 1616, when royal permission was granted to erect and run a sawmill by the waterfall.
The amount of water available for industrial production has been requiring increasingly higher levels of investment.
The first pulp mills were founded in Norway between 1860 and 1870. In 1873 a small mill was built at Rygene; however, it burned down five years later. In 1883 a new mill was built and sold to Smith & Thommesen, predecessors to the present owners.
The work force at Rygene
There are currently 20 staff members employed at the mill, a number that has been steadily decreasing due to the implementation of new technology.
Rygene is an important local employer, having both a stable work force and extremely low level of absenteeism. Some of the staff members at the mill are third and fourth-generation employees.
Sales & Marketing
Rygene’s sales and marketing is handled through its representative Europcell; having its sales office in Hanau, Europcell covers all major European markets.
Most of our products are exported to the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and Asia (domestic sales are very limited).